Research and Analysis Wing

This article is about the Indian intelligence agency. For other uses, see RAW (disambiguation).

The Cabinet Secretariat's Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) is India's premier external intelligence body. It was created as an independent unit in September 1968 from the Intelligence Bureau which at that time handled both internal and external intelligence. Its headquarters are on Lodhi Road in New Delhi. The current director of the organization is P K Hormese Tharakan, who was with R&AW from 1989 to 2001, and is an IPS officer.

Profile, Structure and Funding

Most available information about the R&AW is largely speculative. Relative to other intelligence agencies of comparable size, the R&AW maintains a very low media profile and is largely ignored by Indian writers, filmmakers and the general public. It reports directly to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and its operations and structure are not revealed to Parliament. Even its name and legal status are rather unusual — unlike the CIA, the R&AW is not an "agency", but a "wing" of the Cabinet Secretariat of the Government of India responsible for "research" (gathering of raw intelligence) and "analysis" (organizing information and drawing conclusions for presentation to the PMO).

The R&AW's budget and funding are not discussed in public forums. According to some reports, part of its funding comes from "discretionary grants" provided to various government bodies, especially Indian embassies and representatives abroad. Estimates of its annual budget vary wildly among experts - from States dollar|$" target="_blank" >^*16 million to $145 million.

One consequence of such a low profile is that it is very difficult to judge R&AW's effectiveness and performance. Reports cover the entire range of judgements from "highly effective and professional" to "inadequate and riddled with internal politics".

The cadre for R&AW is drawn by deputation from state police forces and other intelligence agencies. The Research Analysis Service instituted during the times of Indira Gandhi is the All India Level Service of R&AW. The Research and Analysis Wing ^* is India's foreign intelligence agency. RAW has become an effective instrument of Indian national power, and has assumed a significant role in carrying out India's domestic and foreign policies. RAW has engaged in espionage against Pakistan and other neighboring countries. It has enjoyed the backing of successive Indian governments in these efforts. Working directly under the Prime Minister, the structure and operations of the Research & Analysis Wing are kept secret from Parliament.

Founded in 1968, RAW focused largely on Pakistan. Its formation was initially motivated by reports of Pakistan supplying weapons to Sikh militants, and providing shelter and training to guerrillas in Pakistan.

Numerous missions were assigned to RAW upon its creation. These included monitoring political and military developments in neighboring countries that affects Indian national security. Consequently, considerable attention is paid by RAW to Pakistan and China, countries that are traditional rivals of India.

RAW has evolved from its origins as a part of the Intelligence Bureau to develop into India's predominant intelligence organization. In 1968, RAW had 250 agents and a budget of Rs. 2 crore. This has expanded to the present day total of an estimated eight to ten thousand agents and a budget that experts place at Rs. 1500 crore, alternately estimated at $145 million.

Pakistan has accused the Research and Analysis Wing of sponsoring sabotage in Punjab, where RAW is alleged to have supported the Seraiki movement, providing financial support to promote its activities in Pakistan and organizing an International Seraiki Conference in Delhi in November-December 1993. RAW has an extensive network of agents and anti-government elements within Pakistan, including dissident elements from various sectarian and ethnic groups of Sindh and Punjab. Published reports in Pakistan allege that as many as 35,000 RAW agents entered Pakistan between 1983-93, with 12,000 working in Sindh, 10,000 in Punjab, 8,000 in North West Frontier Province and 5000 in Balochistan.

RAW has a long history of activity in Bangladesh, supporting both secular forces and the area's Hindu minority. The involvement of RAW in East Pakistan is said to date from the 1960s, when RAW supported Mujibur Rahman, leading up to his general election victory in 1970. RAW also provided training and arms to the Bangladeshi freedom fighters known as Mukti Bahini. RAW's aid was instrumental in Bangladesh's gaining independence from Pakistan in 1971.

During the course of its investigation the Jain Commission received testimony on the official Indian support to the various Sri Lankan Tamil armed groups in Tamil Nadu. From 1981, RAW and the Intelligence Bureau established a network of as many as 30 training bases for these groups in India. Centers were also established at the high-security military installation of Chakrata, near Dehra Dun, and in the Ramakrishna Puram area of New Delhi. This clandestine support to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), some of whom were on the payroll of RAW, was later suspended. Starting in late 1986 the Research and Analysis Wing focused surveillance on the LTTE which was expanding ties with Tamil Nadu separatist groups. Rajiv Gandhi sought to establish good relations with the LTTE, even after the Indian Peace Keeping Force ^* experience in Sri Lanka. But the Indian intelligence community failed to accurately assess the character of the LTTE and its orientation India and its political leaders. The LTTE assassination of Rajiv Gandhi was apparently motivated by fears of a possible re-induction of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka and a crackdown on the LTTE network in Tamil Nadu.

RAW was heavily criticized in 1999, following the Pakistani incursions at Kargil. Critics accused RAW of failing to provide intelligence that could have prevented the ensuing ten-week conflict that brought India and Pakistan to the brink of full-scale war. While the army has been critical of the lack of information they received, RAW has pointed the finger at the politicians, claiming they had provided all the necessary information. Most Indian officials believe that in order to prevent another such occurrence, communication needs to be increased between the intelligence agencies, which would require structural reform.

Most recently, RAW has gained attention for providing the US with intelligence on Al-Qaeda and Taliban targets for the war on terrorism in Afghanistan. Maps and photographs of terrorist training camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan, along with other evidence implicating Osama bin Laden in terrorist attacks, were given to US intelligence officials.

Activities

The R&AW is rumoured to have around 12,000 agents in neighboring countries. Countries that have had past hostilities with India are also watched. R&AW also keeps a close watch on criminals that are wanted by the Indian Police for conducting various illegal activities in India. It also provides assistance to interest groups that are able to promote India's national interests overseas. The R&AW does not determine foreign policy, which is the job of the elected government.

Initially, Pakistan was a primary focus of R&AW's activities, though this is reportedly diluting in recent years, as India seeks an enlarged role in world affairs. There have been many anti-terrorist activities carried out by R&AW in Pakistan to subdue its terrorist networks. This, together with India's attempts to "decouple" itself from Pakistan among world leaders, is said to have given R&AW increased tasks beyond Pakistan. Pakistan, however, claims that as many as 35,000 R&AW agents were in Pakistan at point of time. Naturally, specific focus areas can at best be speculated by studying India's foreign policy pronouncements. An important outcome of the Gujral government in 1997 was the decision not to significantly increment and rather stop all support for separatists groups in Pakistan. The Indian security establishment had envisaged the support as in an in-kind response to Pakistani intelligence and special force operations in India since the 1980s. Subsequently, a large number of intelligence assets in these groups that had been cultivated during the earlier part of the decade decayed.

That said, R&AW still closely monitors a large number of anti-India terrorist groups and training camps in Pakistani and Afghan territory. Being an external intelligence agency, the R&AW, however, does not operate in the troubled region of Kashmir - that comes under the purview of the Intelligence Bureau. R&AW also keeps a close track of various anti-India separatist and insurgents groups in Bhutan and Bangladesh. A primary objective of R&AW's activities in Bangladesh is to monitor the growth of Islamic fundamentalism there.

An important element in India's external intelligence activities is keeping a track of underworld criminals who carry out their illegal activities in India from abroad. It is estimated that R&AW has several hundred agents in the Persian Gulf region, where many of India's most wanted criminals are believed to be hiding.

As per convention, the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) under the Cabinet Secretariat is responsible for co-ordinating and analyzing intelligence activities between R&AW, the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA). In practice, however, the effectiveness of the JIC has been varied. With the establishment of the National Security Council in 1999, the role of the JIC has been merged with the NSC.

Secretary (R)

The chief of the R&AW is designated Secretary (R) in the Cabinet Secretariat, which is part of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO).

Understandably, there is not a lot of information available about this position, or its occupants. Most of the occupants have been experts on either Pakistan or China. They also have the benefit of training in either US or the UK, and more recently in Israel.

The Secretary (R) reports on an administrative basis to the Cabinet Secretary, who reports to the Prime Minister (PM). However, on a daily basis the Secretary (R) reports to the National Security Advisor.

Past Secretaries:

Rameshwar Nath Kao, 1969-77 , First Director
K. Sankaran Nair 1977-78
N. Santook 1978-80
S.C. Joshi 1980-83
Girish Chandra ('Gary') Saxena, 1983-86
A.K. Verma (1986-1989)
G.S. Bajpai (1989-1991)
N. Narasimhan (1991-1993)
R.S. Bedi (1993-1994)
A.S. Syali (1994-1996)
Ranjan Roy (1996-1997)
Arvind Dave, 1997-1999, 12th Director
A S Dulat, 1999-2000, 13th Director
Vikram Sood, 2001-2003, 14th Director
C D Sahay, 2003-2005, 15th Director
P K Hormis Tharakan, 2005-Present, 16th & Current Director

Organization Structure

Reporting to the Secretary (R) are:

Two Special Secretaries and one Special Director of the ARC, the Aviation Research Centre, which is responsible for topographic surveillance using aircraft and satellite imagery.

Four Additional Secretaries, responsible for different geographical regions.
A large number (above 40) Joint Secretaries, who are the functional heads of various desks.

Operations

Thought to be particularly active in Pakistan, the R&AW is known to have gathered massive amounts of data on the Pakistani establishment and its military.

It is often alleged by Pakistan that the R&AW was instrumental in obtaining independence for Bangladesh. Covert operations against the ruling East Pakistan government were carried out by aiding recalcitrant groups such as the Mukti Bahini. This culminated in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971.

Since 1981, the R&AW has actively played a role in Sri Lanka. There is controversy that R&AW was helping and arming the LTTE even when Indian peace keeping forces where still fighting LTTE. This backfired as the LTTE became more engaged with separatist groups in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. After 1986, following a policy change by the Indian government, this assistance was withdrawn and the R&AW put the LTTE and similar groups under surveillance.

In 1996 a foreign diplomat was implicated in a scandal in the US for providing illegal funding to political candidates in the US.

In 1999, R&AW came under heavy censure in India for its failure to detect the infiltration of a large number of foreign guerrillas into the mountains of Kargil, Kashmir.

In 2004, the R&AW uncovered a senior officer allegedly working for the CIA, but failed to prevent his defection to the US. This caused a minor media uproar in India, focussing on R&AW's sluggishness in responding to signals and evidence of infiltration. There has also been criticism for its failure to detect the coup of General Musharaf in Pakistan (October 1999) and King Gyanendra in Nepal (January 2005), though it is believed that the organization was able to foresee the intent of General Pervez Musharraf to become the president of Pakistan. This speculation is fueled by the fact that then Prime minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee had congratulated the general as the president even before taking the oath.

External links

Indian intelligence agencies